Brother
by Lunaverserocks
Summary: During the time that a respected General controlled a powerful city, there was a seperated family, confronted by the fear of death linguring in an apartment. I'm bad at summaries. Please read. It will get better, the first chapter is different. R&R.


**I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. I would've aired this part long before now if I did.**

**Brother: Firebenders**

**Created By: Lunaverserocks**

**Please be gentle with the reviewing. This is a very restrained chapter and I wasn't planning on anything big, yet. Review and have fun reading!**

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Firebenders. There are many words to describe them; all of them aren't nice words either. They have hurt most people in some way whether it is through burns or through the loss of a family member. I too have been hurt, my entire family killed except my brother and I. He's older than me by three years, I'm fifteen. We've been in refuge at Ba Sing Se for a while now and have lost interest in the war overwhelming the world.

I hate it at Ba Sing Se since the Fire Lord's son, General Iroh has taken over. Members of his army flood over the walls. They rape, pillage, and harass the citizens. They mostly do that to women and children.

The world will never become whole again and I have little doubt that the Fire Nation will lose. They will win, even if we give them a run for their gold coins. Nobody ever gets out of their house unless it's a thing that is completely necessary like food or supplies.

My brother and I take turns going out. He makes me go during the daylight because he fears for my safety. I warn him continuously about fighting back at the soldiers.  
We both have agreed to remain silent when we get mad at each other, for certain reasons of course that should be obvious.

Our neighbors have been taken away and we seem to be the only one's left on our block. It's too quiet during the day. During the night, there is no chance of sleep; you're guaranteed to be awake through the screams and laughs that engulf the sky.

---Me---

"Ryo! Where are you?" I asked slowly, shouting a little more than I would've liked. I looked over my shoulder through the downstairs portion of our apartment. I looked toward the living room, nobody. Dining room, nobody there either.

Okay, this is stupid, where are you brother!? I thought desperately.

I looked at the dark kitchen, dinner had been cleaned up and the dishes were drying in the rack. I looked away now and sighed, the world had changed since the 'high and mighty' General Iroh toyed with his soldiers at one of the many walls lining the great impenetrable city.

I gave up as I looked in the pantry and found out that we were out of food. That's where he went then, I thought.

There was a knock on the door. I cautiously walked to it and opened the flap to allow me to see whom was at the door before opening it completely. "Open up Miss…Mika?" a soldier asked politely.

I hesitated. He knew my name, how? What had I done wrong lately. I shouted for my brother. When I was six, I burned down the tent in the backyard but that was ages ago and nobody would remember it…right?

I had no choice so I opened the door and he barged into the apartment. "What do you want?" I asked cautiously.

"Where is your brother, Ryo?" he asked, pushing me against the wall and ripping the doors open, searching.

"Why, what's wrong?" I asked, rubbing my soon to be aching head.

"You're brother has been suspected of killing a guard around the back ally's. He's going to be killed," the soldier laughed.

WHAT?! I shouted in my head. "That doesn't sound like my brother!" I stuttered, confused.

He clasped my arm and started to drag me toward the door. "You will be taken and held until your brother gets the message," he said.

I screamed, hoping that Kyo was near. "LEMME GO!" I shouted to him. I turned and kicked him in a sensitive spot and ran out of my door.

"You're not going anywhere missy," a soldier without a faceplate snickered. He lunged for me and I backed away slowly, heading the opposite way, down the street. I didn't get very far before running into a carriage. The ostrich-horses pulling it groaned and stopped moving. I stopped and again, backed away. I was now trapped. The carriage was blocking the only other way out.

I was thrown to the ground, desperately struggling to get away. Handcuffs were placed on me and I was thrown against the carriage. "What is the meaning of this?!" the rider of the carriage demanded to know.

"General Iroh!" the soldier clamped to my hands shouted, dropping me and giving the old General a salute. "This young woman's brother is wanted, we are taking her captive to bring him out!" the soldier explained.

"I'm telling you that it wasn't my brother!" I shouted, defending my case.

"Let the young lady go soldier," the General ordered.

"Of course, right away General," the soldier stuttered.

The handcuffs were taken off of me and I winced as he walked closer to me. "Care to join me?" he asked slowly.

There was no way that I could say no, the soldiers around me, one still itching to rip me apart for kicking his groin would bind me up and take me to a prison. I looked shaken and he ushered me to the entrance to the carriage. I got in and he followed me.

With the clack of the door, the carriage started to move, leaving the soldiers behind. I took in a deep breath.

"Why am I here?" I asked slowly.

"No reason, it didn't seem right for you to be taken and served as bait for your brother. If he is indeed guilty, then he will do the honorable thing," the General sighed, grabbing a teapot and pouring himself some tea. "Want some?" he asked, grabbing a teacup.

"Yes please," I sighed, grabbing the cup as he filled it. I felt weird as I sipped the tea. "What kind of tea is this?" I asked.

"Jasmine," he answered, swirling it around in his cup. "It's one of my many favorites."

I stared at him, bewildered. "Why are you here?"

He looked at me and closed his eyes. "I'm here for my Nation," he answered.

"I meant here, like on this road, shouldn't you be creating a plan to deepen yourself in these walls and completely take over the city?" I asked.

"I don't plan to continue trying to take over this city. I'm getting tired of this city completely, my men are tired and I have better things to do," he sighed.

I was unaware that the carriage stopped. The General stood up and walked to the door. "What am I supposed to do? Where are we?" I asked.

"Just follow me," he sighed.

I wasn't about to trust him but I followed him anyway. I walked down the stairs of the carriage and to the left.

---Iroh's POV---

The young lady behind me didn't know where she was going, neither did I for that matter. I figured that I would be nice to her and maybe treat her to something. She seemed uneager to follow me, probably fear.

"Where are we going?" she asked me again.

"What is your name?" I asked, knowing that she by now had already heard a lot about me, all of it probably bad.

"Mika," she answered shallowly.

"It means new moon right?" I asked, knowing my meanings fairly well.

She looked at me from behind. "Yes it does."

---Mika's POV---

"Does that mean that you are a waterbender?" he asked again.

"I'm afraid that I'm neutral. My brother is the one with the bending ability."

"What Nation are you from?"

"Earth."

I was lying at that statement. I was born at the Western Air Temple, after it had been evacuated of the Fire Nation soldiers. I thought that it was best to refrain from telling him that little tidbit.

He looked at me, still walking. "How long have you lived here?" he asked slowly.

"Since just before you came," I answered. That was true. My life has sucked since that point. I just wish that my entire family could've stayed in the woods, together and hidden from the war.

"Parents?"

"Dead."

"Leftover family?"

"Just my brother."

"Are you okay?"

I glared at him. "Of course not. You're Nation is killing me in all sorts of ways. Mentally and financially."

He gave me a sorry-I-wasn't-planning-on-that-to-happen look. I didn't take it as that look. His father, his Nation had continued this war. His entire family was the cause of this war.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked.

I was still full from dinner. "No, but thank you."

He smiled and I felt awkward. We were walking a dimly lit road. "The people have been evacuated from this part of the city. Your entire block was supposedly evacuated as well. Why are you still here?" he asked calmly.

"I wasn't aware that there was an evacuation," I sighed. Had my brother been told? Why hadn't I known about this?

---Back at the house---

Ryo walked into the house, hands filled with groceries. He sighed and furthered himself down the dark and eerie hallway. His foot caught a part of a piece of pottery and it smashed. "What the…?" he whispered, looking down at his feet, dropping the bags in his hands.

His mind reeled. MIKA! He sprinted up the stairs and opened her door, ripping it out of its holder. He rummaged through the room, attacking the lumps in the bed. "She's gone…" he stuttered, starting to cry. "She's gone…"

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**Thank you for reading this chapter. I hope that you review. If you're in the mood for something sick, check out my profile and click on Concubine to a Master. That'll make you hurl even if it's not my first intention.**

**But, please review…I haven't been feeling good for a while now and my Uncle just started taking a LOT of Chemotherapy because of the uncountable amounts of tumors. I pray that I didn't inherit the cancer…**

**Anyway…please review…I'd appreciate it.**


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